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fons, but conditionally will'd the falvation of all men ; that is, provided they will repent, and believe : but has not determin'd to give this repentance and faith to any in particular; at least not till he fees how they improve the common grace and advantages they are under. This is evidently to make the will of God in this matter, fubject to, and directed by the will of man, which is very difhonourable to him. This notion reprefents God, as faying, "I will that all men fhould be faved; nevertheless it muft finally be, not as I will, but as they will." This is in effect to take away the will of God; for, to be fure he can have no abfolute will of his own, whofe will must be directed by the will of another, and is liable to be fruftrated by it.

2. Without fuch an election as we are maintaining, God might be wholly difappointed in his faving defign respecting the children of men, and the precious blood of Chrift might have been fhed in vain. The o ne could not be fecur'd, nor the other prevented, without an election of individuals, to whom the redemption purchas'd by Chrift fhou'd be infallibly applied.

They will not get clear of this abfurd confequence, by having recourse to the fore-knowledge.

fore-knowledge of God, and laying, he certainly fore-knew that fome, and a great number wou'd repent and believe, and fo was aflur'd he fhou'd not be disappointed inhis defign, and that his fon would not die in vain; becaufe, as we have shown already, the fore-knowledge of God neceflarily infers his fore-ordination for it is certain, that when all things future were no where but in the mind of God, in the days of eternity, he cou'd know nothing of them but what was his determinate will and counsel concerning them.

Or if they will fay, that to prevent this disappointment, God will fo order it that fome fhall be inclin'd and difpos'd to comply with the terms of falvation; this is in effect to give up the point, and grant what we aflert for this will be to allow difcriminating grace exercis'd in time, which can't well be defended without allowing a dif crimination in God's purpofe relating thereto; because they muft otherwife fuppofe there are new determinations in the divine will, which wou'd be to argue him imperfect in wisdom and knowledge.

3. Another of the grofs abfurdities which I apprehend follows upon the denial of this doctrine is, That man's falvation is

left

left at the fame uncertainty under the new covenant, that it was in under the first; nay, that the state of mankind now, is much more difficult and dangerous than it was then.

Man's happiness, or mifery,turned upon the exercise of his own free will under the firft covenant; and fo it does ftill if the falvation of a number is not fecur'd by electing love and grace. And can we fuppofe it confiftent with the love and kindness of God, to leave falvation again to depend upon the will of man, which had ruin'd him once before? If free-will ruin'd man in his firft ftate, while he was upright; is it not much more likely to ruin him in his worst state, now that he is fallen and corrupt? How can we imagine the wife God to expect his defign of man's falvation fhou'd be anfwer'd in the fame way,when it was rendered much more unlikely ; Imay fay impoffible now,tho' it was not fo before? Agreably we read, Job 15.15. Behold,be putteth no trut in his faints. He does not truft the concerns of his glory in their falvation, in their own hands; for he well knew his faving defign wou'd then never take effect. And therefore their falvation is infallibly fecur'd by the new covenant, which is call'd a better covenant, establish'd upon better promifes,

promifes; promifes of reconciling,renewing and perfevering grace, pofitive and abfolute, Heb. 8. 6. A tranfcript of which covenant follows, in the 10, 11, & 12. V. and it runs in the moft abfolute unconditional train that can be; This is the covenant that I will make with them, faith the Lord, I will put my laws into their minds, and write them in their hearts; and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people. And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, faying, Know the Lord for all fhall know me, from the leaft to the greateft. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their fins and their iniquities will I remember no more.

Once more,

4thly, Another of the confequences, which, as I conceive, follows upon the denial of this doctrine is, That the falvation of every particular man does originate with himself; or at least is to be divided between God and the creature.

They that are in the other way of thinking, fuppofe that by the death of Chrift mankind are put into a falvable state; but that the fuccefs as to particular perfons_depends upon their acceptance of the offer'd falvation, and compliance with the terms of it; which acceptance and compliance (according

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(according to them) are not the refult and fruit of God's purpose of grace, but rather of mens own reafon and confideration, will and choice, excited by thofe rational arguments that have been fet before them, and that moral fuafion which has been ufed with them. Some of thefe will indeed fpeak of the grace of God, and acknowledge we can do nothing without that; but all they seem to mean is a common general grace which goes along with the gospel, and one may improve to equal advantage as another. And if it be thus, the finner that is fav'd, is furnish'd with an eafy answer to that queftion, 1 Cor. 4. 7. Who maketh thee to differ from another? The happy difference inftead of being afcrib'd to the free and powerful grace of God, muft upon this principle, be afcrib'd to the man himself,his own reafon and choice, good conduct and endeavours. There is no medium here; for according to the apoftles arguing, every mans falvation takes rife from the free grace of God in election, or from his own works. Rom. 11. 5, 6. Even fo at this time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, fuch as I mention'd just now, viz. electing grace; if by grace, I fay) then it is no more of works; otherwife grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is Q 2

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